Saturday, February 26, 2011

Max’s Machine: 2011 Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV4 Factory Superbike

Aprilia RSV4 and Maxi Biaggi - the winning combo in 2010 is set to take on all comers this year...

Aprilia had a brilliant year in World Superbikes last year, with Max Biaggi winning the WSBK championship – the first Italian rider to do, and on an Italian motorcycle at that! Now, Aprilia Alitalia have unveiled their 2011 machine, with Biaggi’s bike carrying the much-vaunted #1 plate. ‘Our success in 2010 will certainly put us in everybody's cross-hairs, but we can't allow ourselves to be intimidated by the pressure. The right road is one of hard work and calm. The stakes are high. We have a great team, a beautiful bike, I am feeling great and I try not to be lacking in motivation,’ says Biaggi. ‘It's not by chance that the enthusiasts consider ours to be the most spectacular championship on two wheels. Brawling on the track and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere in the paddock, this is the right spirit,’ he adds.

‘After such a hard season and after having achieved such an important milestone, I think it was only right to stop for a moment and think, reflect. To see whether deep down there was still the motivation, the strength to face another season. I never have and I never will do things halfway, just for the sake of doing them. A championship like the one that awaits us must be taken on with absolute motivation and dedication. I needed to have my family close to me to understand what I needed to do. It was the right thing to do and now I have no doubts about the choice I made,’ says the 2010 World Superbikes champ.

‘The track is the best test bench ever for a super-sport bike. The stress caused by such a fiercely battled championship puts every single aspect of the bike to the test. The Aprilia RSV4 – in this case I'm talking about the factory street bike – is an extraordinary bike which immediately took its place on the market as a leader, in the opinion of specialised magazines and comparative tests. It can be defined, without any false modesty, as the most innovative in its segment. Riding it to victory in SBK guaranteed first and foremost an extremely important technological spillover, which improves and increases the value of the factory product, a fundamental process for a Group which competes in the global market,’ says Gigi Dall'Igna, technical and sport director of Aprilia Racing.